- Chi Rho was the monogram of the early Christian Church based on the vision of Constantine I.
- It consisted of the Greek letters ‘Chi’ (X), and ‘Rho’ (P), which were the first two letters of Christ’s name when spelt in Greek.
Constantine’s vision
- Constantine I had a dream, the night before his victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 CE. In the dream he saw the first two letters of Jesus’s name in the sky – the Greek letters ‘Chi’ ‘Rho’.
- In hoc signo vinces ‘In this sign you will conquer’ were his famous words to his Legions, when he ordered them to paint the cross on their shields.
IHS
- Later the letters became IHS from the first three letters of ‘In Hoc Signo Vinces’ (In this sign you will conquer).
- It also stands for the first three letters of the word ‘Jesus’ in Greek capital letters.
Early Christian Symbols
- There were many symbols of Early Christianity and they can be found in the Catacombs of Ancient Rome.
- Although use of the Cross existed in early Christianity, it did not become widely adopted as a Symbol until much later.
Photo and map: Sarcophagus, Avenue des Alyscamps, Arles, France